Pet carrier for travelers

ABSTRACT

A pet carrier for use in transporting pets within the passenger compartments of aircraft includes selectively closeable windows formed from mesh fabric, a fully openable end and a fully openable side for providing access to the interior of the pet carrier, an access port in the top having a full length double zipper closure and a rotatable locking member for securing the access port in the closed condition, a multi-function strap securable to the opposite ends of the pet carrier for use as a shoulder strap and securable to one end of the pet carrier for use as a pulling strap; individually removable rollers supporting the pet carrier for rolling movement over an underlying surface; and a removable floor.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of application Ser. No.10/078,306 filed Feb. 18, 2002, which is a continuation application ofapplication Ser. No. 09/882,729 filed Jun. 15, 2001, which is acontinuation application of application Ser. No. 09/775,403, filed Feb.1, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,661; which is a continuationapplication of application Ser. No. 09/619,068 filed Jul. 19, 2000, nowU.S. Pat. No. 6,216,637; which is a continuation application ofapplication Ser. No. 09/323,711 filed Jun. 1, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No.6,082,305; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/143,825,now U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,120, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 08/926,525 filed Sep. 8, 1997, abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to pet carriers, and more particularlyto a pet carrier for use in transporting small dogs, cats, and othersmall pets within the passenger compartment of an aircraft, or duringautomobile travel, or during visits to the veterinary.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As is well known, travelers wishing to take pets with them duringaircraft travel have traditionally been required to house their pets incrates for transportation in the luggage compartment or hold of theaircraft. This is unsatisfactory for several reasons. First, the petsare subject to injury or death if the crates in which they are housedare dropped or overturned either during handling to and from theaircraft or during flight. Second, the luggage compartment of anaircraft is typically neither pressurized or air conditioned, which canlead to asphyxiation of pets transported in luggage compartments ifsufficient oxygen is not present. Third, delays in baggage handling andunavailable delays caused by weather, mechanical problems, etc., cansubject pets carried in aircraft luggage compartments to temperaturesextremes which can cause injury to or death of the pets.

The foregoing and other problems resulting from the transportation ofpets in aircraft luggage compartments or holds has resulted in thetransportation of small dogs, cats, and other similarly-sized petswithin the passenger compartment of aircraft. For obvious reasons, petspresented for transportation within the passenger compartment must beconstrained within pet carriers. Both hardside and softside pet carriershave been used for this purpose, with softside pet carriers beinggenerally preferred because they are relatively light weight, adaptableto a variety of circumstances which may be encountered during a trip,and, at least in some instances, collapsible for storage when not inuse.

Although generally satisfactory, the softside pet carriers intended forthe transportation of pets within the passenger compartment of aircrafthave exhibited numerous disadvantages. First, the design of prior artsoftside pet carriers has required that they be carried, either usinghandgrips or shoulder straps, whenever relocation is indicated. Second,the access ports of prior art softside pet carriers have not beensufficiently secure against opening by and subsequent escape of the petsintended to be restrained therein. Third, prior art softside petcarriers have not been provided with sufficient storage capacity toallow the transportation of food, water, and the necessary dishes andother accessories which must be utilized during the transportation ofpets.

The present convention comprises a pet carrier for travelers whichovercomes the foregoing and other difficulties long since associatedwith the prior art. In accordance with the broader aspects of theinvention, there is provided a softside pet carrier including a bottom,two sides, two ends, and a top. The bottom is provided with wheels,rollers, or skids whereby the pet carrier and the pet contained thereincan be easily pulled through airports, and in similar situations. Thewheels, rollers, or skids are preferably removable to reduce the overallheight of the pet carrier and to prevent unintended movement thereof.

The walls and at least one end of the pet carrier comprise windowsformed from sturdy mesh panels to afford ventilation and allow the petowner and the pet to see in and out, respectively. One or more of thewindows may be coverable in instances in which privacy or confinement ispreferred. One wall of the pet carrier is fully openable to allow thepet carrier to be used as a bed or crate when not in use fortransportation. The openable side wall includes a pocket for use instoring veterinary documents and other small items.

One end of the pet carrier is provided with a large storage compartmentadapted to receive food, water, bowls, and other accessories necessaryfor the proper care of a pet during transportation. The top includes anaccess port having a full length double zipper construction whichfacilitates ingress and egress of the pet. The double zipper opening canbe used to allow the pet to have exposure through the centrally open topof the carrier, if desired, with the pet being secured by a leash ring.The access port is fully lockable to prevent the escape of the pethoused within the pet carrier.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, a pet carrieris provided with a removable floor. In use, the removable floor issecured to the bottom of the pet carrier by rotary locks. The rotarylocks of the removable floor extend through lock receiving members whichare mounted in frame members comprising part of the bottom of the floorof the pet carrier. The frame members also support retainers whichreceive individually removable wheels and/or skids.

An advantage in the use of the second embodiment of the inventioncomprises the foldability thereof for transportation and storage. Thefloor is released from frame members and is positioned adjacent the topwall. The bottom wall and the end walls are then folded inwardly,thereby substantially reducing the height of the pet carrier.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referenceto the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pet carrier for travelers of thepresent invention taken from one end thereof and showing the pet carrierin its fully closed configuration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pet carrier of FIG. 1 taken from theopposite end thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the closure flaps of thepet carrier in the open condition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing one of the sidewalls of thepet carrier in the fully open condition and illustrating the storagecompartment of the pet carrier;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing one end of the pet carrier inthe open condition;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the top of the pet carrier inthe open condition;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the bottom of the pet carrier of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of the use of the pet carrier of the presentinvention showing the shoulder strap of the pet carrier in its pullingconfiguration and illustrating the head of a pet extending through thepartially open top of the pet carrier;

FIG. 9 is a greatly enlarged partial sectional view showing suspensionstructure of the pet carrier of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an illustration of the pet carrier of the present inventionfully collapsed for storage;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a pet carrier comprising asecond embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom of the removablefloor of the pet carrier of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of the pet carrier of FIG. 11showing the removable wheels thereof;

FIG. 14 is a transverse sectional view taken through the bottom of thepet carrier of FIG. 11 showing the installation of the removable wheels;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 13 showing the removable skids of thepet carrier;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 14 showing the installation of theremovable skids;

FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of the pet carrier of FIG. 11 inwhich one wall has been broken away to illustrate a first step in thefolding of the pet carrier;

FIG. 18 is an end view illustrating the pet carrier in its foldedcondition;

FIG. 19 is a transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the petcarrier; and

FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the strap connected at bothends.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the Drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2thereof, there is shown a pet carrier 20 comprising a first embodimentof the invention. The pet carrier 20 comprises a normally closedcontainer having a rectangular cross-section both as to its width and asto its length, it being understood that other cross-sectionalconfigurations may be used in the practice of the invention, if desired.The pet carrier 20 may be constructed from 1200 denier polyester pvccoated waterproof fabric of the type commonly used in the constructionof softside luggage, however, it will be understood that other materialsmay be utilized in the construction of the pet carrier 20, depending onthe requirements of particular applications of the invention.

The pet carrier may be provided with a conventional handle 22 comprisingopposed handle portions 24 and 26 secured to opposite sides of the petcarrier 20. The handle portions 24 and 26 may be joined together at themid-points thereof by a gripping member 28 which snaps onto itself inthe usual manner to provide a comfortable handgrip for the pet carrier20. The pet carrier 20 is further provided with a multi-function strap30 which is adjustable in length and which has selectively openablehooks 32 at each end thereof. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the multi-function strap30 is shown in its shoulder strap mode with the hooks 32 being engagedwith rings 34 secured at the opposite ends of the pet carrier 20. Whenused as a shoulder strap, the multi-function strap facilitates carryingthe pet on quick in-and-out of the car trips.

Pet carrier 20 includes a top 36, ends 38 and 40, sides 42 and 44, and abottom 46. As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the end 38 and the side 42are provided with closure panels 48 and 52 which may be secured in theirclosed positions as shown in FIG. 1 by snaps 54 (FIG. 3). Alternatively,either or both of the panels 48 and 52 may be secured in the openconditions illustrated in FIG. 3 by means of selectively openable hooks56 which engage rings 58 secured to the end 38 and the wall 42. As isfurther illustrated in FIG. 3, the walls 38 and 42 comprise windowsformed from a strong but flexible net material which provides theventilation into the interior of the pet carrier 20 and which allowsvisual access by pet owners and pets into and out of the pet carrier 20,respectively.

As is illustrated in FIG. 5, the end 38 of the pet carrier 20 isprovided with a zipper 60 which is adapted for actuation to allow theend 38 to be fully opened. By means of the zipper 60 the end 38comprises not only a window formed from the mesh material andselectively coverable by the panel 48, but also a fully openable door.The fully openable door comprising the end 38 is highly convenient inaffording ingress and egress to and from the pet carrier 20 for pets,and also to facilitate cleaning of the interior of the pet carrier 20.FIG. 5 also illustrates fiberglass rods 61 extending along the uppercorners of the pet carrier to maintain the pet carrier in a fully opencondition while providing collapsibility when needed. The rods 61 arefurther illustrated in FIG. 19.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, the side 44 of the pet carrier 20comprises a window 64 formed from mesh fabric which is both strong andflexible. The use of mesh fabric in the construction of the window 64 ishighly advantageous in that it allows ventilation into and out of theinterior of the pet carrier 20 and also provides visual access into andout of the interior of the pet carrier 20 for pet owners and pets,respectively. A zipper 66 extends around the periphery of the window 64and is selectively operable to allow the window 64 to be fully opened inthe manner illustrated in FIG. 4. This feature of the invention ishighly advantageous in that it allows the pet carrier 20 to be used as acrate or bed when not in use as a pet carrier. FIG. 4 furtherillustrates a removable floor plate 67 which is preferably removable tofacilitate cleaning of the pet carrier 20.

The window 64 further comprises a storage compartment 68 which isnormally secured in a closed condition by a zipper 70. The storagecompartment 68 provides convenient storage for veterinary records andother papers relating to the pet transported within the pet carrier 20.The storage compartment 68 may also be used to receive and storemedicines and other small articles attendant to the comfort and safetyof the pet.

The end 40 of the pet carrier 20 comprises a large storage compartmentwhich is normally secured in the closed condition by a zipper 72. Thestorage compartment comprising the end 40 is adapted to receive and awater transport container 74, a collapsible water bowl 76, and acollapsible food bowl 80 having a top that can be closed to secure petfood therein. The storage compartment can also store other accessoriesfor the care and maintenance of the pet utilizing the pet carrier 20.

As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the top 36 of the pet carrier 20comprises an access port 86 which is normally secured in the closedconfiguration by a double zipper closure 88 and a rotatable lockingmember 90 of the type normally used in luggage construction. When fullyopened the access port 86 provides convenient ingress and egress fromthe interior of the pet carrier 20 for the pet to be carried thereinwhich is substantially wider than would be the case with a single zippertop opening. The access port 86 also provides convenient access to theinterior of the pet carrier 20 for cleaning. An important feature of thepresent invention comprises the fact that the access port 86 may bepartially opened to allow the pet contained within the pet carrier 20 toproject its head of the top of the pet carrier when circumstancespermit. To this end, a retaining ring 92 is provided within the interiorof the pet carrier 20 to secure the pet against jumping out through theaccess port 86 when it is partially opened.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the bottom 46 of the pet carrier 20 is shown.The bottom 46 is provided with a plurality of wheels or rollers 96 orskids 98 which facilitate the transportation of the pet carrier 20 andthe pet contained therein through airports, and in similar situations.The wheels or rollers 96 or skids 98 are preferably removable from thebottom 46 in order to reduce the overall height of the pet carrier 20,and also to secure the pet carrier 20 against inadvertent movement atall times except during the actual transportation of a pet within thepet carrier 20.

The use of the pet carrier 20 is illustrated in FIG. 8. Themulti-purpose strap 30 is disengaged from the ring 34 at one end of thepet carrier 20 and is used in its pulling mode to roll or slide the petcarrier 20 through an airport or other similar circumstance by means ofthe wheels or rollers 96 or skids 98 secured to the bottom 46 thereof.If circumstances permit, the access port 86 comprising the top 36 of thepet carrier 20 may be partially opened to allow the pet P to project itshead therethrough. In such circumstances the pet carrier is preferablysecured within the interior of the pet carrier 20 by connecting itscollar to the securing ring 92. As shown in FIG. 20, duel rings 99 whichreceive the opposite ends of the strap 30 may be provided, depending onthe requirements of particular applications of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates an important feature of the invention. The petcarrier 20 is provided with supporting members 100 which are securedalong the walls 42 and 44 and the top 36 of the pet carrier 20 adjacentthe ends 38 and 40 thereof. The supporting members are preferably formedfrom fiberglass which allows the pet carrier to be collapsed whenlocated under the seat of an aircraft. The supporting members 100 mayalso be formed from suitably flexible wire or other materials. The useof the supporting members 100 is important in that it prevents the top36 of the pet carrier from collapsing down onto the pet and maintainsthe interior of the pet carrier 20 in its filly open and uprightcondition to provide maximum freedom of movement and maximum interiorspace for the enjoyment of the pet contained therein. As is shown inFIG. 10, the supporting members 100 allow the pet carrier 20 to befolded for storage.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 through 18, inclusive, there is shown a petcarrier 120 comprising a second embodiment of the invention. The petcarrier 120 comprises numerous component parts which are substantiallyidentical in construction and function to the component parts of the petcarrier 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10 inclusive, and describedhereinabove in connection therewith. Such identical component parts aredesignated in FIGS. 11 through 14 inclusive, with the same referencenumerals utilized in the foregoing description of the pet carrier 20,but are differentiated therefrom by means of a prime (′) designation.

The pet carrier 120 includes a removable floor 122. As is best shown inFIG. 12, the bottom of the removable floor 122 is provided with a pairof rotatable locks 124. The removable floor 122 is preferably relativelyrigid in construction, and has an exterior surface 126 which isimpervious to moisture and readily adapted to cleaning. In lieu of therotatable locks 124 the floor 122 may be secured by snaps, Velcro® hookand loop fasteners, and other conventional fasteners suitable for use inluggage and similar applications.

The bottom 46′ of the pet carrier 120 is provided with lock receivingmembers 128. As is best shown in FIG. 14, the lock receiving members 128of the pet carrier 120 are secured in a frame member 130 which is inturn secured to the bottom 46′ of the pet carrier 120. The frame member130 also supports retainers 132 which selectively receive and retaineither individually removable wheels 96′ or individually removable skids(as shown in FIG. 7). The use of the frame members 130 to secure thelock receiving members 128 and the retainers 132 comprises an importantfeature of the invention in that the frame members 130 lend stability tothe bottom of the pet carrier 120 and assure that the lock receivingmembers 128 and the retainers 132 are secured in place.

The use of individually removable wheels and/or skids also comprises animportant feature of the invention. Individual wheels and/or skids aremuch easier to store than would be the case if the wheels and/or skidswere mounted on a subframe which was in turn securable to the bottom ofthe pet carrier. Also, individually removable wheels and/or skids allowselected wheels to be replaced with skids in the event it is desired tofacilitate both rolling transport of the pet carrier across anunderlying surface and stability of the pet carrier when it is not inmotion.

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate the folding of the second embodiment of theinvention for transportation and storage. Referring specifically to FIG.17, the removable floor 122 is disengaged from the bottom wall 40′ andis moved into engagement with the top wall 36′. The bottom wall 46′ isnext folded inwardly, followed by downward and inward folding of the endwalls 38′ and 40′. FIG. 18 illustrates the completion of the foldingprocedure. FIG. 18 also illustrates in broken lines a conventionalpaperboard box which receives the pet carrier for transportation,marketing, and storage.

The foldability of the pet carrier 120 comprises an important feature ofthe invention. The folding procedure as illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18reduces the overall height of the pet carrier to approximately ⅓ of itsheight in the operating configuration. The foldability of the petcarrier is a significant advantage in that it reduces transportationcosts and facilitates marketing of the pet carrier. The foldability ofthe pet carrier is also advantageous in facilitating storage thereofwhen it is not in use.

Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated inthe accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it will be understood that the invention is not limited tothe embodiments disclosed, but is capable of numerous rearrangements,modifications, and substitutions of parts and elements without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pet carrier comprising: opposed first andsecond side walls, opposed first and second end walls, and opposed topand bottom walls defining an enclosed interior space characterized bypredetermined length, width, and height dimensions; the first and secondside walls and the first and second end walls having top and bottomedges joining the side walls and the end walls to the top and bottomwalls, respectively; a plurality of individually removable wheelassemblies; a removable floor having lock members mounted thereon; framemembers secured to the bottom wall and including lock member receivingapparatus for receiving the look members of the removable floor tosecure the floor in place and retainers for securing the individuallyremovable wheel assemblies to the bottom wall; and support members fornormally maintaining the first and second side walls and the first andsecond end walls upright to afford maximum space within the pet carrier;the bottom edges of the end walls being inwardly pivotal to collapse theside walls thereby substantially reducing the height of the pet carrierto facilitate transportation and storage.
 2. The pet carrier accordingto claim 1 further including the windows in the first side wall, thesecond side wall, and the second end wall comprise mesh fabric.
 3. A petcarrier comprising: opposed first and second side walls, opposed firstand second end walls, and opposed top and bottom walls defining anenclosed interior space characterized by predetermined length width, andheight dimensions; the first and second side walls and the first andsecond end walls having top and bottom edges joining the side walls andthe end walls to the top and bottom walls, respectively; an openableaccess port formed in the top wall; a removable floor normally engagingthe bottom wall and upwardly displaceable therefrom to a locationadjacent the top wall; and support members for normally maintaining thefirst and second side walls and the first and second end walls uprightto afford maximum space within the pet carrier; the bottom edges of theend walls being inwardly pivotal when the bottom wall is upwardlydisplaced to its location adjacent the top wall to collapse the sidewalls thereby substantially reducing the height of the pet carrier tofacilitate transportation and storage.
 4. A pet carrier comprising:opposed first and second side walls, opposed first and second end walls,and opposed top and bottom walls defining an enclosed interior spacecharacterized by predetermined length, width, and height dimensions; thefirst and second side walls and the first and second end walls havingtop and bottom edges joining the side walls and the end walls to the topand bottom walls, respectively; an openable access port formed one ofthe walls; and support members for normally maintaining the first andsecond side walls and the first and second end walls upright to affordmaximum space within the pet carrier; the bottom edges of the end wallsbeing inwardly pivotal to collapse the side walls thereby substantiallyreducing the height of the pet carrier to facilitate transportation andstorage.